Ever After
by scarletbegonia74
Summary: Well, somebody has got to die according to USA network.
1. Funeral for a Friend

_Well USA Network, you suck balls. _

_And even if Vincent D'Onofrio was ready to leave. Goren and Eames deserved a whole season to make an exit, not a "two parter". Here is my take on how it should be done. _

_I don't own em' Cause if I did I'd never eff them over like USA did._

_**Funeral for a Friend**_

It wasn't really very cold that October day. The trees, with their vibrant oranges and reds, barely moved in the damp air that surrounded him. Yet Robert Goren felt as if an arctic breeze was blowing through him, chilling him to the bone. He watched, as he was encircled by people mourning. Some stoic, blue coats, some bereaved family crying so hard, they were literally choking on their tears. And here he was, at the helm. He felt like he was drowning. Or that sensation when you get off an obnoxious, spinning, amusement park ride. Like the world is quickly rotating sideways and you're stuck, unable to move, convinced you'll fall.

He couldn't cry

Or attempt stoic

Or even choke…. He was paralyzed.

The words of a priest slid in and out of his conscious. Something about eternal life and forgiveness. Robert brushed those words off like a dog brushes fleas. He could not be consoled right now. Certainly not by mere words. Promises of faith and the ever-after, were tiny raindrops in a sea of something huge and dark that was building in Goren's soul.

In reality he wasn't sure he had a soul anymore. He figured what was left of it, lay in that small marble box of ashes on the ground, at the feet of this circle of mourners.

The ashes of his partner.

The ashes of Alexandra Eames

_His Eames_

_His Alex……_

*******************************

Like robots, they shifted and moved to their cars. A few said kind words to the "loose cannon" or the "nut job" as he knew they liked to refer to him in times of lesser tragedy. He heard their words, nodded in response. But he listened to none of it. And after everyone slipped away, friends, colleagues, and family. Robert Goren was the only one left standing over the grave of Alex Eames. Even in death he found it almost impossible to leave her side. The funeral director was brave or ignorant enough to put a hand on Bobby's shoulder.

"We'll take care of her from here…."

With those words, Bobby numbly walked to his car.

He slid in the driver's seat and with a deep breath, he turned over the ignition. Glancing out the passenger's side window for one last look at his partner's final resting place, that's when _it_ caught his eye.

_It…._

_It_ was a small white envelope on the passenger's seat. Nothing was written on the outside, but even in his never-ending grief, _it_ made his heart skip a beat. Though maybe _it_ was just some anonymous sympathy card. Someone too careless to even write _Bobby_ or _Robert_ or _Detective Goren _on the envelope. Then Bobby started to fumble through his already broken memory to try and remember if he even locked the car during the funeral.

He couldn't remember.

He made a promise to himself when Ross called and told him Alex had died. He promised to never forget a moment he spent with her. All his memories of her would take precedence over any day to day mundane bullshit. Bullshit, like whether he locked his car or not.

He picked up the envelope. It appeared to have some object in it. Something metallic that made a sliding noise when Bobby moved the envelope around.

Carefully he slid the envelope open and a necklace poured out into his hands. It was a necklace he immediately recognized. He felt a sensation of warmth break through his death chill for a moment as he fingered and held Alex's gold chain with the small cross. He knew this necklace so well, not only because it adorned the neck of his beloved partner for years. But he was the one who put it there. Well, at the very least, he bought it for her. He would have loved to have been the one to trail his fingers around her delicate neck, and fasten the necklace in it's rightful place. But he settled for buying her this trinket, in appreciation for all she went through after Jo Gage kidnapped her. He wanted to let Alex know…. Let her know he loved her. But all he could say when he gave her the necklace was how much the partnership meant and he hoped she was ok.

He always figured she knew.

He hoped anyway.

She wore that necklace everyday, almost. She wore it so much, he stopped noticing. Especially after his own turmoil engulfed his time and energy.

Now his warm little feelings were replaced by a collective kick in the stomach. He remembered Alex yelling at him after his undercover operation, two years ago. He couldn't make her see and she was so mad and hurt. And it took him a few weeks to understand the "hurt" part.

Trying to brush that memory aside, he further explored the envelope. Inside was a tiny piece of paper. He opened it.

_3000 Battery Place_

_South of Chelsea Piers_

_Near South Cove Park_

_Abandoned Warehouse_

_5pm today_

It was directions to an old warehouse Bobby was somewhat familiar with, from a past case. But that wasn't what intrigued him. What intrigued him, were the directions.

They were written in Alex's handwriting.


	2. A Flicker in the Darkness

_I don't_ _own them, but remember if I did, I wouldn't kill them. That should give you a little perspective on this forthcoming chapter._

_**A Flicker in the Darkness**_

Robert Goren glanced at his watch. It was already 4 o'clock. He had to hustle! He put the car in drive and blasted out of the cemetery. He felt revived, awake, alive! The curtain of darkness partially lifted, Bobby blindly pointed his car and his soul (which was now back in his body) forward.

As he drove, he would glance down at the note every now and then. Reaffirming that is was indeed Alex's handwriting.

_How???_

There was an explosion. He, Nichols, Ross and Eames were deeply involved in infiltrating a band of Somali terrorists with the FBI. They were all present, exploring a house with the FBI that was known to contain the terrorists. Goren heard a loud bang, he saw smoke and his ears were ringing. His first thought… Eames.

He couldn't find her through the haze. Ross found him and together they left the smoke filled building, much to Goren's objection. Ross promised they'd find her. But he knew he might be lying. And even though Ross was bleeding profusely from a head wound brought on by flying debris, he managed to wrangle the two hundred and some odd pound detective out of the building with his promises.

Bobby never saw Alex again. He was told they found her dead in a corner of the house later that day.

"_She was fatally injured by the explosion."_

Ross's words continued to play over and over in Bobby's head like it was yesterday, like it was five minutes ago, like it was five seconds ago.

Neither of them ever saw the body. As much as Bobby didn't want to see Alex's delicate features marred and ruined. He wished with all of his being he could have viewed her body. It may have brought him some closure. Her absence was so abrupt.

_And now this!_

Was she alive?

Was this a joke?

Was this a trap?

Of course Goren's mind had to move in the direction of the sinister. Were the terrorists trying to finish the job? Regardless of the outcome, he had to find out. He couldn't _not _go!

***********************

Five minutes short of 5pm, Bobby arrived at the warehouse. He parked a distance away, keeping in mind there might be something unwelcome inside. He quickly cased the area, as best as one detective could alone. Then Bobby entered a side door that was dangling from it's hinges. It was dark and Goren could only make out shadows at first. The thought occurred to him that he was a sitting duck. Maybe even a semi-suicidal sitting duck. If he didn't find Alex here, he wasn't sure he cared if he ever came out again to see the light of day.

Bobby continued his exploration of the vast rooms. Finally he came upon an office, that sat like a small oasis in the center of dark empty of the warehouse. He placed one hand on his piece and opened the door.

There she stood, all honey blonde, head in her hands.

There was _his _Alex.

And now Goren was starting to ask himself that age old question.

_Am I fucking nuts?_

She startled at the sound of him entering the office. Then ran, throwing her arms around him, doing her best to contain his large frame in her embrace.

"Bobby! I'm so sorry Bobby." Alex was breathless.

Bobby couldn't bring his arms to rise and embrace a ghost. He dipped his head and smelled her hair. That familiar "Alex" smell filled his nostrils. His shock began to subside and he could feel her tiny frame struggling to hold him. Her arms having trouble connecting behind him. They were like a broken circle Bobby thought, as he snapped to reality and scooped her into him with both arms, lifting her feet off the ground.

He couldn't speak. He had no words, just tears. Bobby just kept squeezing Alex and breathing in her scent.

"Bobby…. Bobby are you ok?"

He let her drop to her feet, so he could take her in. The sight of her, every curve, every dimple, he'd never take them for granted again.

He noticed she had some steri-strips across her forehead. A wound that she must have sustained during the explosion.

Alex saw Bobby's tears. His eyes red rimmed, his hair wild and unkempt. She could picture him running his hands through it over and over while he drove from the cemetery to the warehouse.

After staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Bobby spoke.

"What the hell happened Alex?"

She turned from him and stepped away, almost adopting a shame filled posture.

"The Somalis, they identified me. They had me captured before the explosion occurred."

Alex continued while looking at the floor.

"If the explosion hadn't happened, I'd be dead. It was my chance to escape and when I did, I found the FBI agents before I found you. When I told them what happened and they told me I was done."

"What!?!" Bobby interrupted, his tone one of anger.

Alex looked back up at him and moved closer.

"They told me that most of the terrorists escaped the blast, and that since they identified me, I was a target, surely to be killed very soon."

"But….Why…. Why didn't they tell us that?" Bobby interjected.

"Bobby… I'm a woman. Remember how those guys operate? They don't take very kindly to a woman messing with their plans. You guys aren't quite the object of their anger like I am. Plus they didn't get your badge and ID."

Bobby sighed. He knew where this was going and even though Alex was alive, she might as well be dead to him when she finished her story.

"This" She pointed at her healing head wound. "This wasn't from the explosion."

Bobby was afraid to ask what else the terrorists had done. As if Alex read his mind she responded.

"I'm okay Bobby." She touched his face and laughed a little. "Well I'm not really okay…. But I'm alive." She forced a smile as she caressed his cheek.

"I couldn't…." Bobby could hear her voice begin to shake. "I couldn't let you think I was dead….. Not you Bobby….not you."

Alex's eyes started welling with tears. Bobby forgot his confusion and anger and dismay for a moment and melted. He drew her into his embrace again, this time holding her more gently, taking the time to feel her body's curves and angles.

"How'd you get here?" He whispered.

"My agent." Alex pointed toward the other door in the office. "She's a "FBI re-locator. I talked her into this. She used to be a cop….. And she had a partner whom she loved, and he was killed."

Bobby's mind, which was already just about completely blown, didn't miss the comparison.

"Alex…." He stroked her cheek. He had nothing to lose.

He leaned in to kiss her but when he was about halfway there she met him with much more enthusiasm than expected. Their kiss was soul crushing and passionate. It was as if they were trying to consume each other, rather than say goodbye. It lasted so long that Alex was a little dizzy when they broke apart for air.

"Don't go…" Bobby whispered in a last futile attempt to keep her by his side.

"I have to…. Agent Crawford is waiting, she probably wonders…." Bobby cut her off with another kiss. This one starting out rough and wanting, but quickly turning gentle and seductive. Bobby softly bit Alex's bottom lip as they broke apart again.

"Take me with you Alex…."

And she looked at him.

And she knew he meant it, meant every word.

She was all he had.

And she started to quickly consider how she was going to sell this plan to Agent Crawford.


	3. Confessions and Coercions

_Don't own. USA Network…blah blah blah._

_**Confessions and Coercions**_

This was all so new.

So weird.

Bobby woke up this morning feeling like he, himself, was dead. His partner ashes. His life over.

Now it's approximately 5:30pm and he's kissing Alex,, holding Alex, pleading with Alex.

Alex….

Who was dead about an hour ago. Dead and gone like any hope Bobby had built over the past year.

Over the past year they were getting closer again, he and Alex. The ramifications of his secret undercover sting and the betrayal of his partner faded. He helped her avert a personal crisis. An old boyfriend, emerging from the past to frame and harass his beloved Alex. He put the brakes on that jack ass. No one would mess with his Alex. He felt she knew this like never before after the Mulrooney case.

They were laughing again on an almost daily basis. And he treasured the gestures and slight touches that occurred. He banked them in an account in his heart. Always grateful to gather any affection he could from their daily crime fighting regimen.

But here it was folks….

After thinking she was dead and finding out she was indeed _alive_. All bets were off.

No more protocol

No more Mr. Manners

No more putting his feelings, physical or emotional, in box, hidden deep within his soul.

He loved her and he was going to tell her.

He was going to tell her _everything._

************************

"Alex just listen to me a second." Bobby had let go of her and started to pace the office.

" I know you think this is crazy but I need to tell you something…. Please just listen and ….."

Bobby looked at her and saw the furrowed brow of worry fall across her face.

" Alex I love you." Bobby tried to keep his voice very matter of fact as not to scare her.

"I've loved you for a long time, and maybe you knew that and maybe you don't care……"

He looked for some sort of response, an acknowledgement…something.

Alex just stared at him.

"I mean….. I know you care about me, or you would never have done this. But I don't want to pressure you, I just don't want to be without you. You're all …."

"I have." Both detectives spoke in unison. "I know." Alex added.

"I love you too Bobby, and you know that. Don't kid yourself. We've both always known." Alex produced her trademark nervous laugh.

"But how can you be sure you want to leave it all for me. I'm not even sure you could…"

"I was there Alex. All I have to do is claim my safety is in question." Bobby interrupted.

"And leave what Alex??!! There's nothing… _nothing _without you."

Suddenly the back door of the office opened and a tall, burly blond stalked inside.

"Rachel….. Alex" She looked irritated. "We have to wrap this up."

"Bobby, this is Agent Crawford." Alex motioned towards the blond, almost as tall Bobby.

"Hi Detective Goren." Agent Crawford muttered. "I broke protocol to do this…. I know and understand how you both feel but we should get going Rachel."

"Using her new name. Getting her used to it." Bobby desperately looked from the agent to Alex and back again.

"Look… I want to be re-located as well." Bobby pleaded with Agent Crawford. "I was there that day too, during the explosion. I have close ties to Alex and I feel that it's best if I go with her."

"Oh Detective Goren, that's a very unusual and rather hard to grant request." Agent Crawford responded.

"Why?!" Bobby was being more abrupt than he wanted to be, but he was grasping.

"You place husbands and wives together all the time. How is this any different?"

Agent Crawford was taken aback by his inquiry.

"But you're not married to Detective Eames, Detective Goren." She tried to keep a gentle tone sensing Goren was getting agitated. Agent Crawford sought Alex for a response.

Alex intervened. "Look Agent Crawford, I have no issue with you re-locating Bobby. I just have my concerns that it's not what's in his best interest."

"_My best interest!" _

Here it comes thought Alex, that high pitched tone Bobby takes when he's on the verge.

"My _best interest _is with you Alex." He cooled his tone a little. "I realize this is all very sudden. Hell, an hour ago I thought you were dead!" Bobby started to pace again. "I just know I love you Alex. You're all I have. You're my family. I understand if you don't want to live with me or be that close with me, but I want to be where you are going. I want to be in your life."

Bobby looked down at the floor, while rubbing the back of his neck.

Agent Crawford felt like she was in the midst of a soap opera or a domestic dispute or both.

"Look, we can't stay here guys. Detective Goren, I can smuggle you out to Alex's current location, if she grants me permission to do so. Maybe you can figure this thing out tonight. Meanwhile I can talk to my superiors about making this happen. But a lot will depend on Alex." She glanced at Alex who was now also staring at the floor scratching her forehead.

"If she is uncomfortable or doesn't want to sell my superior officers on the fact that you two are boyfriend and girlfriend, then it's likely a no go."

Alex raised her gaze from the floor to Agent Crawford and then to a sorrowful and desperate Bobby.

"Let's get going guys." Alex grabbed Bobby by the hand as the agent led them out the back of the warehouse.


	4. Welcome to the Hotel Anonymous

_Thanks for the reviews y'all. I know the witness protection plot has been done before and better. I'm just not sure how else to send our favorite detectives into the sunset together._

_It's gonna get hot in herrre. Kiddies it's rated M time soon._

_USA, I don't own, yadda yadda._

_**Welcome to the Hotel Anonymous**_

Out the back of the warehouse was parked an black SUV with tinted windows. Agent Crawford shuffled Alex and Bobby inside and took off for parts unknown, at least to Bobby. As they drove Alex explained that she'd been placed in a hotel until her new location could be set up. Agent Crawford interjected, adding that tonight was Alex's last night in NY and by some point tomorrow, she wasn't sure when, it was "go time".

The SUV wound through a parking garage and pulled into an area that looked like it was used for deliveries. If Bobby had been paying attention, maybe he'd have an idea of which hotel or what part of town they were in. But none of that really mattered now and Bobby was too busy staring at Alex. Holding her hand like a giddy, but shy school boy. His thumb drawing circles over the bumps on the back of Alex's hand.

"Ok folks we're here." Agent Crawford announced. "Alex you know the drill, show him the way."

The three law enforcement officials, wound their way through an underground door that led to what appeared to be a janitorial area and into a dark rickety elevator. Bobby could feel them slowly rising about 10 or so floors when the doors dinging open and Agent Crawford led them through another janitorial area. Finally she opened the door to a simple and modest hotel room.

"This ain't it yet." Crawford informed Bobby.

The agent and Alex walked to a door in the motel room, that looked as if it were the opening to a closet. Alex opened the door and instead of a closet, Bobby was looking at another modest hotel room. It mirrored the one they were already in.

"Honey we're home." Agent Crawford snickered with the assumption of what could potentially go on in the hidden room tonight. "Let me know what you guys want for dinner I'll order room service in an hour." She handed Bobby a pen and paper. "Write down your size and toiletry preferences and I'll see to it you have what you need to get you through the next 48 hours."

Bobby scribbled a few things on the paper and handed it back to the smirking agent. She then turned to shut the door. "See ya in an hour."

*********************

"Well." Alex exhaled. "We're here….for now." She sat on the edge of the bed and gazed up at Bobby. She sympathized with what he was feeling. How this all must have been for him. On the car ride back to the hotel she imagined how she would have felt in his shoes. His world was totally sideways right now and she sympathized, but also feared he wasn't thinking rationally.

There he stood staring into the space of the tiny hotel room. He looked a little shocked and very tired.

"Bobby take off your coat. Lay down here if you want, get some rest. I'll let you know when dinner arrives. You're beat, c'mon." Alex patted the bed to get her point across.

Bobby woke from his mini coma and slid off his jacket. He then realized he was still in his dress blues, still clothed for Alex's funeral. He slid next to Alex on the bed and looked her up and down.

"I can sleep on the floor tonight. It's not a big d…."

"You'll sleep in the bed .": Alex interrupted sternly. "C'mon Bobby we're safe here, everything is all right. You need to get some rest." She ran her hands up his back and over his shoulders. Bobby shuddered at her touch. When Alex's hands reached his broad shoulders, they felt to her like steel girders. There was so much tension in him. Alex couldn't discern if the tension was because of her death, her resurrection or both. She tried with tiny hands to kneed away at the steely expanse of Bobby's frame.

"C'mon Bobby, lay down and take a nap. You'll feel better and things will make more sense." Alex's voice came out more like a seductive whisper than she had intended. Her fingers and palms were still tugging and pulling at Bobby's unyielding shoulders. Her touch only seemed to be causing his tension to mount.

"Make sense….." Bobby muttered. "Everything make's sense Alex." He turned quickly to face her, leaving Alex's arms suspended in the air. He gently grabbed her wrists and dipped his head low so he was looking up at her. He didn't say a word, he hoped the weight of his stare would tell the tale. He needed Alex to give him permission to love her.

Alex felt dizzy. She was becoming familiar with the sensations hundreds of people Bobby interrogated must have experienced. His dark brown eyes boring holes into her soul. His breath gently ricocheting off of her cheek. Her eyes fixed on his lips, Alex already well aware of what they could do. Now she was shuddering, thinking of the places where they hadn't been….yet.

"You should rest." Alex repeated, trying desperately not to further the tension by sounding seductive in her whisper.

"You're right." Bobby raised an eyebrow at her, realizing the nervous tension Alex was feeling. He unfurled his fingers from her wrists, not before trailing the tips down her arms.

"Good night Alex, wake me when the food….."

Before he could finish Alex leapt into him sealing her mouth over his, ending his sentence with her tongue. Bobby raised his arms behind her, rubbing her back. As she leaned deeper into him he dared to move his hands lower, grazing her rump. The move sent chills through Alex's spine.

The kissing lasted for awhile, before Bobby broke the seal and whispered into Alex's ear.

"I thought I was gonna get some rest." Alex could hear the smile in his voice, leading her to believe "rest" was not what Robert Goren was aiming for right now. She thought for a second, a very long second, while Bobby ran his tongue along the edge of her ear. She regained her self resolve and composure.

"You're right Bobby." Alex gasped, breathless as she pulled up and away from his embrace. "You should get some sleep…. Seriously! I'll wake you when Crawford brings our food." Alex stood up, grabbed a book off the nightstand and retreated to the only chair in the room. Without a word Bobby unbuttoned his dress shirt, revealing a black t-shirt. He kicked off his shoes, knowing it was futile to argue and he slid beneath the covers. More tired than his lust filled adrenaline allowed him to realize, Bobby drifted off into a deep sleep.


	5. Epiphanies

_I had no intention of this being a long story. I just wanted to thumb my nose at USA Network and devise a shippy/happy goodbye. First some smut and gratuitous love, then we'll wrap it up._

_**Epiphanies**_

_Hot as a fever_

_Rattling Bones_

_I can just taste it_

_Taste it._

_Sex on Fire__-Kings of Leon_

Alex felt a little guilty eating without Bobby. She sat in the chair picking at her chicken, rice and vegetables, staring at the man sleeping in front of her. She wasn't often privy to Bobby's mask of slumber, in the nine years they worked together. But she knew enough from his softened expression and the rate and depth of his breathing, that he was experiencing a much needed deep sleep. Her gut told her to let him remain there. She still had her concerns that Bobby wasn't in his right mind when he made his proclamation to leave it all behind for her. She believed his confessions of love. Alex was well aware, for a long time, of the love between them. It was a quiet and tenacious fire, that simmered below the surface of their everyday lives. Both had their reasons for keeping it under wraps. Each of them had baggage, but the biggest concern was of course, the job.

The job was now a thing of the past, and admitting that to herself made Alex's stomach sting a little. She loved her job. Loved bringing justice and a measure of safety to the streets of New York. She knew that there would be time to get angry over the loss of her job once the FBI relocated her. Agent Crawford said they'd try their best finding Alex something to do that fell in line with her strongest talents and attributes. But Alex didn't hold out much hope.

Agent Crawford had dropped off Bobby's list of things and let Alex know that she'd talk to her again in the morning. Figuring she was done picking at her food, she tried to cover Bobby's so it might have a little heat left in it when he awoke. Alex headed for the tiny bathroom to shower.

***********************

There was smoke everywhere and Bobby had lost his sense of direction. He felt like he was lost at sea paddling in any direction he could, but going nowhere fast.

Voices

"Bobby! Help! Bobby help me!"

It was Alex. She was screaming for him in the thick haze. Her voice had a tone of panic rarely heard.

"Eames! Alex! Keep talking, I'll find you. Keep talking!" He shouted.

"Bobby….." Alex's voice became fainter. It sounded as if she was choking. Bobby ran in what felt like circles in the smoke.

"Alex no! Keep talking! Louder!"

Suddenly he felt two hands grip him in the darkness. At first he assumed it was Captain Ross, until he heard her voice.

"Wake up Bobby. Bobby wake up. You're having a nightmare. Bobby…."

His eyes parted, blurry with sleep. There she was like an angel. He could smell that she just came from the shower. Bobby tried not to be obvious, but the first thing he noticed were her breasts. The cleavage that was rising up from the tank top she was now wearing.

"Bobby c'mon, it's Alex." She whispered and drew closer. "Are you hungry?"

He was definitely hungry, but he certainly couldn't be as bold as to tell Alex what he was specifically hungry for.

He gazed at her through sleepy eyes barely able to contain the hunger and lust they must have belied to her.

"Come here…" Bobby whispered and put his arms around her. Alex hesitated for a moment, knowing that if she leaned forward and pressed herself into him, there was no turning back….ever. All of the unsaid feelings, all of the tension, the years of repressing, it was about to spill over like a flooded dam. And Alex had the power to stop it, or start it.

What did she have to lose?

She bent herself into him and felt his erection poking against her stomach. She lay across his body and the two began kissing. Even though they only began the ritual of kissing that day, it was like they'd done it a million times before. Bobby knew just how to peel her lips apart with the tip of his tongue. His kisses were soft and seductive and they stole her breath. And Alex knew right where Bobby loved to be kissed. On his pulse, where the junction of his neck and lower chin met. His breath caught when Alex mouthed and licked that spot over and over.

"So beautiful…" Bobby muttered, holding her head in his hands as she lay on top of him. "Are you sure about this Alex?" Bobby needed her to give him permission again.

Her fingers snaked under the hem of his t-shirt.

"What makes you think I wouldn't be sure?" She breathed into his ear and tugged upward on the shirt to illustrate her certainty.

Bobby slid upward and somewhat out of Alex's grasp.

"I just…." He looked down at the bedspread. "It's just… what are we doing here? You know… I mean I'm….."

Alex stood up, frustrated, and started to pace the floor, arms folded. "You know Bobby, this hot and cold thing…. I'm really sorry about what happened, about this relocation business and what it's done to you." She stopped pacing and turned to face him, arms still folded, adopting a posture that of which Alex usually used in the interrogation room.

"As devastating as it is to admit, our partnership…. Our working partnership, is over. Wasn't that what held us back all these years?"

Bobby was shocked at her candor, even more shocked at the fact that she was sliding off her jogging pants in the process.

"You talk about wanting to be with me, to leave your job and life…." Alex slid off her tank top revealing what Bobby had fantasized about for years. He struggled to maintain eye contact.

"I'd just think you'd want to be sure before we ride off into the sunset together." Alex posed before him, along side the bed. She was bare naked in front of him, physically and emotionally. Bobby could barely breathe.

"I need to feel like I'm really alive Bobby." She cupped his face in her hands. "And so do you… You've needed to for a long time."

Bobby sat up to face Alex. He ran a single finger over her lips, trailing it down her neck and between her full breasts.

"I don't need to make love to you to be convinced that I want to have you in my life forever. I've known that for years and I knew it before we ever even touched. I love you Alex." His finger continued it's mission. He slid it down her stomach, feather light, and lower through her slippery core.

Now it was Alex who couldn't breathe.

"Please Bobby…" She managed to plead as he added his entire hand to the mix and rubbed her center, causing Alex to rock in time with Bobby's movements.

"Please Bobby… What?" He whispered, his hand moving faster, exerting more pressure with each stroke.

"Ohhhh god…" Was all Alex could manage as her legs started to give way and she leaned into Bobby. His cue to slip a curled finger inside of her and begin her resurrection.

"Fuuuck!" Alex dug her fingers into his arms for support, her legs quickly becoming jelly. She panted and felt dizzy as Bobby worked with her own sexual rhythm A few more strokes and she'd be done. He could feel her tighten and contract around his finger, her rocking becoming frantic.

"Come for me Alex…. Come back to life for me…" Bobby whispered in her ear, flicking his tongue along the lobe.

His order pushed Alex over the edge. She fell forward into Bobby, crying his name over and over and over. And he caught her, drawing Alex into him while she floated through her release. Her loss of control at his hand, being one of the most beautiful sights of his life. He drew her into the bed so she could land next to him, when she came down from her orgasmic high.

He stroked the hair out of her face as she opened her eyes to gaze up at him.

"Please come with me Bobby." Alex's voice was tiny, her tone pleading. "I love you so much."

"That's all I want.." He responded and swept over her. Sliding his pants and boxers off of his body as fast as he could. He felt Alex's hands trying to sweep down to help. When she realized she couldn't reach, she gave up and settled for stroking Bobby instead.

"Your turn Bobby…. Your turn to come for me baby."

Bobby twitched in her hand, loving the dirty talk coming from his partner's beautiful mouth. He placed his lips over that mouth and felt Alex spreading beneath him. She wrapped her slender hand around him. Bobby let her control how far and how fast, at least at first. He dissolved slowly into her wetness and warmth. She squeezed and held him until he could control it no longer. Convincing himself Alex was ready, overcome with sensation, Bobby began to thrust, dipping to meet Alex's rising movements. The sounds she made edging him closer to his end. She whispered his name in between her uncontrolled noises of passion. He drove deeper into her core and despite his weight, she felt like her body was rising. Then Bobby slid a hand between them, placing indirect pressure on Alex's clit. She began to soar, her climax a bright and flashing bolt of lightening the struck over and over again. At the point she was able to open her eyes she locked gazes with Bobby who was seconds from his own release.

"Love you….. Please come for me." Alex whispered breathlessly and Bobby did what he was told.

It had been so long, he couldn't even really remember the last time he'd even found release inside a woman. Yet alone, a woman he loved. And he never loved anyone like he did Alex. As Bobby recovered from his explosion and release, a small sense of sadness loomed over him . He mourned the fact that this was probably the first time he ever had sex with a woman he truly loved. He mourned for a moment, why they hadn't done this sooner. Why did he let the job prevent such an amazing occurrence from coming to fruition.

Alex sensed the melancholy in her partner. She smiled and caressed his cheek. Reading his mind as if they were on the job.

"I'm here now…."

Bobby came back to reality. And what a splendid reality it was.

Bobby Goren in all his years working major case, never realized what a powerful aphrodisiac death could be….


	6. Ever After

_I'm wrestling with a happy ending or the super happy deluxe ending. Let's see where this goes._

_Eff U USA Network, you own them I don't and you'll likely ruin them._

_**Ever After**_

Alex Eames always assumed that witness relocation programs placed people thousands of miles away from their original homes. She was rather surprised when her new destination turned out to be about a small town on the outskirts of the shore communities of North Carolina. Same coast and not all that outrageously far from NYC.

Sipping her morning coffee, she breathed in the fresh country air and tried to appreciate the humble beauty of her surroundings. Glancing at the clock she snapped back to the present, realizing she was dangerously close to being late for work. Her job, was not quite the disappointment she originally expected. Always proficient with computers, Agent Crawford placed Alex with a small IT company that help set up and assist local bed and breakfasts with websites for their businesses. It sure wasn't the NYPD, but it was a job.

As Alex raced past her closet grabbing her clothing for the day, she paused to gander at the large slumbering mass in her bed. Bobby was snoring, deep in a peaceful sleep, despite Alex fumbling for her clothing.

He definitely got the sweeter deal of the two. Bobby was employed at the local community college. He taught classes in history. Again, it wasn't the NYPD, but it kept his brain engaged. So much so, Alex wondered, that Bobby slept more these days than he ever did in New York. Monday mornings he's sleep in since he didn't have a class until ten. Alex bent down to kiss his head goodbye, when Bobby's eyes flickered open.

"G'morning, gorgeous." Bobby yawned. "Aren't you late for work?"

"Getting there…." Alex placed a kiss on his forehead and patted his cheeks. "I have to get going."

Bobby frowned a little. This was all still so new. Even though it had been about eight months, it was still hard for him to get used to not working with Alex.

"I'll be home tonight. We'll catch a movie or something." Alex sensed Bobby's thoughts. She gave him another peck on the cheek, said I love you and scurried away. She didn't want to dwell on the five hundred pound gorilla in the room. The fact that they both missed their jobs. Not just the job, but doing the job _together_. And don't even get her started on the pain of missing her family. The FBI was paying for Alex's weekly trip to see a counselor, who tried to help her deal with the guilt she felt about her family thinking she was dead.

The only true bright spot in the situation was Bobby. She loved him so much and she found tremendous comfort in the fact they were free to pursue their feelings From a relationship standpoint she couldn't possibly feel more physically, sexually and emotionally fulfilled.

But then there was the five hundred pound gorilla…..

************************

It was Bobby who got the phone call from Agent Crawford. She tried calling Alex's cell, but at her job, Alex had to turn it off when dealing with a client. Apparently Alex never checked her messages either. Otherwise she might have been clued in as to why Bobby was sitting on the back porch. Nursing a beer and staring into space looking more forlorn than she'd seen him in months.

"Bobby…. You okay?"

He turned and looked at her and she could swear there were tears rimming his eyes.

"We can go back….. It's safe now and we can go back to New York."

Alex collapsed to her knees on the porch under the weight of those words.

*************************

Detective Nichols and Captain Ross led the continuing investigation into the terrorist group that had Eames information. The group wasn't a terribly large one, but the were certainly dangerous.

After a few months of cat and mouse the FBI with the assistance of the NYPD was able to infiltrate and dismantle what was left of the organization. The terrorism experts at the FBI, once finished shuffling though all the details of this particular group, felt there was no further danger posed to Detective Eames or Goren. The tough economy effects even the FBI. It costs big bucks to relocate and care for people in protective custody. So if there's a safe reason to kick them out, all the better.

Agent Crawford promised Alex that counseling would be available for she and her family to ease the transition back.

Bobby finished his story by adding that Detective Nichols lost his life trying to infiltrate the terrorist organization. Ross was injured pretty badly as well. He was still in rehab trying to get his life back together when Crawford called.

"She's flying out tomorrow to get the ball rolling." Bobby exclaimed. "And she talked to the chief of D's……"

"And….. Bobby what!"

"You'll likely be reinstated, no problems." Bobby looked at his feet, he couldn't meet her eyes.

"What about you Bobby? I'm not going back to the NYPD without you!"

"Alex!" Bobby snapped. "Don't let that stop you! This is the opportunity of a lifetime. There's a good chance Ross will have to take early retirement. You would take his place. Don't let this slip away Alex!"

"But what about you!?!" Alex was almost to the point of yelling.

"Alex, be real…. You know the first chance the big wigs had to get rid of the department's number one whack job, they were dancing in the streets. There's no way they'll ever let me back in."

Alex rose and threw her arms around Bobby. "No! I'm not going back in without you." Tears streamed down Alex's cheeks. The emotion and shock of the last hour were too much for her to take. She felt her strength and resolve slipping away in a wash of tears. She harbored the pain of his loss. The fact that he gave up the only other thing in his life he loved aside from her, never to regain it.

"Alex." Bobby whispered and tipped her head up to look at him. "There might be a way. It'll never be exactly the same as it was….. But the FBI is looking for a profiler to work the New York City area. Agent Crawford said the job is pretty much mine if I want it."

Alex sighed and Bobby brushed her tears away. "We can go home Alex. We can be together and we can do what we were meant to…. Maybe not always together…. But we'll still have each other."

Bobby locked eyes with Alex, he held her face tightly in his hands, desperate for a reaction.

"Oh god Bobby…. " Alex cried. "I never thought this day would come. I love you so much!"

She leapt into his arms, kissing him so hard, Bobby could barely breathe. He ran his hands through her hair and cherished the fact that she was his. The time they spent in North Carolina was bittersweet. He never felt so loved in his life, yet something was missing. Now they found that "something."

Breaking the minute long kiss, Bobby smiled at Alex, smoothing her dark blond tresses back off of her face.

"Besides… You know it wouldn't be very wise for us to work as partners… you know…. Since we've become lovers. I wouldn't get any work done."

Alex's blouse was three quarters of the way open before she even realized Bobby had undone it. His slight of hand was always a turn on for Alex, even before they began a relationship. He trailed his lips down her neck and over her bra and cleavage. Her pants were unbuttoned already too.

"Bobby…. What are we doing?"

"Celebrating…" Bobby responded.

"Out here on the porch?! In front of the neighbors?" Alex squeaked, reeling a little from his lips on her bra covered nipple and his hand down her pants.

"Who cares…." Bobby surmised with a slithering whisper. "Won't be our neighbors in a day or two." Alex straddled Bobby in the chair after sliding just enough of his pants out of the way.

"Won't see these people ever again…" Bobby breath hitched in his throat as Alex worked him inside her wetness.

She licked his ear, her voice raspy." Let's give em' a good show then."

Alex grabbed his shoulders and started to ride him with a freedom and fury she hadn't felt in forever. As she got closer to her release she arched her back, not caring if the neighbors could see her gyrating in her bra on top of her "husband". Bobby appreciated the new found freedom in both of them. He pushed when she pulled and together they reached new heights, awash with hope for the future.

*****************************

Captain Alexandra Eames filed the last bit of paper work on the Manceno Case. She'd been a captain for about six months and it wasn't very easy. But oh was it rewarding. She loved her new position and had to admit she was the happiest she'd been in years.

Her family was handling her reemergence well. Her father admitted to her, when Goren disappeared, he had an inkling she was in witness protection. It was almost like Alex had been on a long vacation. Now she was present again. Working at her full potential and finally allowed, without regret, to be with the man she loved.

Bobby….

He was having a grand time working for the FBI. It was a good thing he and Alex lived together. His job kept him busy. Some weeks he was shuffled around the state and Alex didn't get to see him nearly as much as she wanted. Sharing the same bed at night helped make up for that loss of time.

Alex grabbed her things heading for the elevators. As she locked her office door, Detective Daniels, Alex's one time temporary partner, wished her goodbye.

"Heading out early Captain?" Daniels inquired.

"Yeah… Bobby's got some plans… and…" Alex trailed off feeling a little guilty for exercising the luxuries of her position so soon.

"Looks like he couldn't wait for ya." Detective Daniels shifted his gaze towards the elevators and pointed. There stood her Bobby, looking nervous and shuffling his feet. He had one of her favorite suits on.

Alex smiled and strutted over to him. Loving the fact that she could do that now with no fear of repercussions.

"Hey… I was on my way." Alex brightened.

Bobby was rubbing his neck and pacing in a small space. He was having trouble making eye contact.

"What's wrong Bobby?" Alex was immediately worried something bad had occurred.

"Uhhh nothing…..I j..j..just had something I needed to ask you." Bobby stammered.

"What is it?" Alex's tone was ripe with worry.

"Ummmm" By this time Major Case got quiet and everyone was paying unyielding attention to Bobby and Alex. It was the first time Bobby made a social appearance at 1PP since he and Alex became an item.

"I know this isn't really the t..t .time maybe… or the place" Bobby slid to his knee. Alex felt her heart jump into her throat.

_Oh my god!_

"But here is where it started…. You and me. Today it's ten years and I wanted to ask you…"

"Bobby!! What are you doing?" Alex interrupted nervously.

"I wanted to ask you…" Bobby continued, slipping a solitary diamond out of his pocket.

_Ohmygodohmygodohmygod..._

"Will you marry me?"

Time stood still for Alex and the room seemed like it was tilting.

A voice in the background broke Alex's trance.

"_For chrissakes Eames, say yes!"_

A low laughter started to brew in the squad room.

Alex literally shook off her nerves and answered.

"Yes! Yes Bobby I'll marry you!"

The quiet laughter built into cheering and hooting. The squad room erupting.

Alex jumped into Bobby's arms, reigning his face with kisses. Leave it to him to remember the very day ten years ago, they started working together.

He slid the ring over her finger and amidst the cat calls and cheers of Alex's comrades, Goren and Eames waltzed into an open elevator to yet again begin their lives.

_**How about that folks? So much cheese and fluff you could make a sandwich. I just wanted a happy ending for our fave detectives where they'd be together forever. And in the end, don't we all want that?**_


End file.
